Mark Zuckerberg’s fame on the internet world is so phenomenal. Gifted with the ability to code a program while at Harvard, he and his friends made something that would change the world and Facebook is changing the world today undoubtedly. The world is united and reconnected by this number one social media platform, and it is serving the world for free! Yet Mark does not stop there, he is wanting more…

To Network the World

About two-thirds of the world population (or 4 billion) still has no access to the internet. Facebook (headed by Mark) aims to connect everyone by giving free access to the internet. Facebook has been working on so many projects and prototypes over the years in pursuit to making this goal a reality.

Their initiative called internet.org, along with partnerships with some biggest companies in telecommunication, aims to bring internet closer to people in the developing countries.

Facebook started in regions with existing infrastructures, it offers free basics service where people won’t need to pay a single cost. No money at stake but their usage is concentrated on what Facebook wants them to navigate. It clearly sets no competition invading the free basics service. This could also identify the factors that the developers would need to know in order to improve the said service.

Facebook has also started working on projects to provide internet access to those areas without any infrastructure yet – in remote areas.

The Aquila drone

Facebook presented its prototype last July 2015 to the world. The Aquila drone, having almost the same wingspan as Boeing 737 but lightweight at 400 kg., is designed to stay in the air for 90 days while circling at the radius of about 3 km. It rises daily from 18,000 m to 28,000 m in altitude and goes back to its starting altitude in order to save energy.

A laser invented by Facebook which can transmit info in gigabits will transmit data from a distance of 16 km or more. Then the drone sends the internet connection signal to the homes where it’s flying over. The drone should create 80 km perimeter on the area where it is moving.

Terragraph Technology

Facebook has also been working on two more projects on the same goal of connecting the world. A Terragraph technology is introduced which is made out of nodes that would be useful in crowded regions such as some places in India. This device signals can pass through buildings using special transmitters, with no trouble at 60GHz. Facebook wants to make sure that residents get broadband access without wiring their homes for net.

This is still under a test phase but the prototypes have already been made and testing is being coordinated with partners.

The Aries project

This is also a new project which attempts to hone the efficiency of the antennae and radio spectrum. The process is called a spatial multiplexing which tries to open 24 data channels in one antenna, and 96 numbers of antennae are to be installed on one tower only. This aims to expand broadband internet in rural areas with distanced receivers.

In Conclusion

These projects are no joke and as Facebook had announced about the funding of hundreds of millions of dollars to make these happen, I somehow see the sincerity of Facebook’s CEO to achieve his goal to make the world a better place.

Truly, internet helps us in our lives since it has been built and I sympathize for people who do not even know what an internet is. Having the courage to network everyone and connect all people to the world through the internet is another phenomenon to witness. Well, I won’t be surprised if somehow Facebook will get profit from these projects (it’s still business and so the partnership happens), but not from the people who have been deprived of knowledge and world awareness all their lives. One day, and I believe it is going to happen soon, we will all be connected in this sense.

The known average of loading a web page is at 6.3 megabits per second, and this was globally observed recently. While this seems fast enough to watch an online streaming movie and send an email at decent bytes, depending on how you are using the internet (i.e. uploading bigger files like videos), you might find that the average speed is still slow. This is even proven by the Massachusetts-based internet provider Akami Technologies in their latest study on how internet speeds still stack up in countries across the globe.

They recently released a report for the first quarter of this year, ranking ten countries having the fastest internet speed in the world. [Source: Business Insider]

#10 Finland

The speed of the internet in Finland is 17.7 mbps on the average and this is relatively fast. Six years ago, the Ministry of Transport & Communications in the country offered every Finnish at least a 1 mbps connection. I bet the adjustments of the citizens of Finland were quite historic.

A 1 mbps net speed will not even give you a relaxed state of mind when watching a YouTube video, it’ll let you send an email in very slow pace.

#9 Czech Republic

The internet in Czech Republic is amazingly at 17.8 mbps on average. Their speed increased by 31% compared to last year’s. This is above what most Americans would consider average. This speed lets you watch HD videos without any buffering.

#8 The Netherlands

This country is at 17.9 mbps on average. The Netherlands also has the highest percentage of households using the internet among European Union two years ago, as per 2014 report.

#7 Japan

Japan is known to provide advancement in technology and is rich enough to support this aim. Ranking at 2nd in Q4 of 2015, Japan is now providing an internet speed average of 18.2 mbps. This is still relatively fast, allowing multiple people using the internet by watching Netflix, playing online games and surfing the net using multiple devices at a time without any delay.

#6 Latvia

Latvia’s average net speed is at 18.3 mbps which is nearly three times faster than the universal average.

#5 Switzerland

Switzerland has managed to increase their internet speed by 26% from last year, which gives an 18.7 mbps on average nowadays.

#4 Hongkong

The people living in Hongkong is having an average net speed of 19.9 mbps. This country is known as one of the first to reach 60 mbps in 2013.

#3 Sweden

Sweden has an increase of 32% from their last year’s net speed, enjoying a 20.6 mbps on average today. Wow, can’t wait to learn what I can do with the speed at the number one post!

#2 Norway

Norway has the largest growth of speed at 68%, giving its lucky citizens a speed of 21.3 mbps.

#1 South Korea

People who reside in South Korea enjoys the fastest internet speed in the world at 29 mbps. This is 4.6 faster that the global average. Imagine downloading a HD movie (5000 mb average) at around 2.5 minutes! That’s how fast this speed is.

However, while Koreans feel ‘gifted’ with that speed, the country has an intense parameters on internet censorship according to the report of the nonprofit Freedom House.

Wrapping Up

Perhaps you have just imagined yourself going on a vacation to any of these countries. A faster speed of the internet is one of the factors to consider if the country is getting good economic growth. Providing this privilege to your citizens leaves a good impression of advancement to the world.

The I.T. workforce keeps on evolving fast. If you intend to have a big increase in your salary, you cannot just sit there and be content with what you know. You have to follow the trend and make a research forecast on what IT will demand in the future. And to be able to cope with it successfully, continuous learning and upgrading yourself with the latest technology will surely help you get to the top.

I have found two interesting notes on the net regarding this, and it gives the information by numbers. It gives better ideas though and also an inspiration to nail one of these job posts next year.

As per the 2017 salary study guide for technology professionals conducted by Robert Half, you will surely need to keep an eye for the following IT jobs: [Source: Information Management Resource Center]

IT Job

Salary Range

(2017)

Salary Range

(2016)

Difference

(%)

Chief Information Officer

$175,000 –

$279,000

$172,000 –

$268,000

3.1%

Chief Technology Officer

$149,000 –

$240,000

$147,500 –

$229,000

3.3%

Chief Security Officer

$145,250 –

$236,750

$140,250 –

$222,500

5.3%

Vice President of I.T.

$143,250 –

$234,250

$141,000 –

$225,000

3.1%

Information Systems Security Manager

$136,000 –

$191,750

$129,750 –

$182,000

5.1%

Big Data Engineer

$135,000 –

$196,000

$129,500 –

$183,500

5.8%

Data Architect

$131,250 –

$184,000

$127,250 –

$175,500

4.1%

Data Warehouse Manager

$129,000 –

$179,000

$123,750 –

$172,000

4.1%

Practice Manager, Consulting & Systems Integration

$127,750 –

$180,000

$125,000 –

$173,500

3.1%

Director, Consulting & Systems integration

$126,750 –

$198,000

$123,750 –

$190,250

3.4%

Network Architect

$125,000 –

$183,000

$120,000 –

$175,000

4.4%

Director of I.T.

$124,500 –

$193,500

$122,750 –

$185,000

3.3%

Applications Architect

$124,500 –

$128,750

$121,250 –

$171,750

3.5%

Database Manager

$122,250 –

$177,000

$118,000 –

$170,500

3.7%

Sr. IT Auditor

$121,000 –

$173,500

$116,000 –

$164,250

5.1%

Mobile Apps Developer

$118,750 –

$182,250

$115,250 –

$175,750

3.4%

Data Security Analyst

$118,250 –

$169,000

$113,500 –

$160,000

5.0%

Business Intelligence Analyst

$118,000 –

$171,750

$113,750 –

$164,000

4.3%

Sr. Web Developer

$116,250 –

$161,500

$112,250 –

$154,000

4.7%

Another resource is from modis.com which is also a dedicated that provide a salary guide for IT professionals. Theirs is presented in an infographic which also gives a forecast increase in demand until 2024. It is worth sharing.

I actually noticed that an increase in demand for IT Security is present in the data and I also can’t help but notice that Web developer has been outdone by Mobile Apps developer. This only means that as the technology advances, the development of malwares also has its upgrades. On the other hand, mobile technology outweighs desktop technology and mobile apps will surely be in the tech trend longer, as long as smart phones become smarter every year.

The latest advanced technology in terms of internet speed and reliable connection has recently been introduced to the world. A counterpart of WiFi or the internet wireless connection, which uses radio signals or waves to transmit data electromagnetically, is called LiFi which stands for Light fidelity. LiFi also transmits data the same way as WiFi does but it uses the ordinary household Light Emitting Diodes (LED) light bulbs. It can boast a speed up to 224 Gbps (gigabits per second). This is really fast!

How it actually works

LiFi is a VLC (Visible Light Communications) system which uses a photo-detector to accept light signals with a processing element that transforms data to a stream able content. The electricity current supplied to a LED light bulb, which serves as a semi-conductor light source, can be converted at high speeds in motions, which is not seen by the human eye.

Let me break down the process…

The data is fed to the lightbulb (LED) with a programmed signal processing tech

The data is sent through its beam to the photodiode or photo-detector at rapid speeds

The receiver converts the tiny changes in the LED bulbs into electrical signal

The lights will need to still be open even day time, no light no signal

It will be hard to implement outside or public places where there is no lightbulbs

But who would not want to enjoy a speed of 224 Gbps?!!

The exciting advantages:

I have to mention it again that its speed is 224 Gbps (bear with me)

The data can be transferred at higher levels with more devices capable of connecting to one another

A shorter range makes the connection safer than WiFi because there is less chances of malware interceptions

It is reported that embedded light beams off the surface still gives 70 Mbps (still wow!)

Is the World Ready for this?

I have to admit, although I sometimes confess myself as a nerd when it comes to IT, this latest advancement came to my knowledge as a late bloomer. Who would have imagined that we can let the data be transferred through light beams?!

I heard that Dubai started adapting the process and executing the power of LiFi to consumers. And it has been reported that the operation is a success. The rest of the world will pretty soon be presented with LiFi technology. And yup I’m really excited to try and experience the promising speed it has been bragging about.

Imagine what LiFi can do

LiFi gives more security that WiFi, and as mentioned, the streaming of data when you are connected to a LiFi is safer from malicious attacks.

It can possibly let people have safer night-walks as your city can set enabled LiFi street lights

Vehicle head and rear lights could incorporate LiFi enabled LED bulbs which can introduce a car-to-car communication. Imagine what this can easily do when you are on the road. A faster help when you get stranded or more warnings or what-nots ahead on the road.

The traffic lights can also be LiFi enabled, so you won’t get bored when a heavy traffic tries to kill your time.

WiFi is not enabled under water. With LiFi, an access to internet is now possible even if you are in a submarine.

There are still more possibilities when LiFi becomes part of our daily lives. So buckle up with that imagination, and wait till you find yourself running after light beams.

I couldn’t be more proud seeing more Indians in this list. Bear with me with my excitement as I present them to you. It’s just so amazing to showcase the promising talents of my co-countrymen despite being one of the third-world countries in the world. And it was not just some local or regional achievement, we talk about the world, the Information Technology.

Information Technology or IT covers pretty much all of the products or services related to computers and computer networks. From smaller chips, graphics cards, motherboard, USB, cables, gaming software, mobile apps, IT consultancy, google algorithms, name it, Indians took an important part in developing all of these things. Some have really made big names in the IT industry. Perhaps now I understand how the world sees us, how we are being called IT nerds, and how we have changed the world in some ways. Of course, the legacy continues, with more and more development in IT, not just by Indians but by all people in the world who aspire IT career paths.

I shall highlight 5 of the most famous Indians who contributed huge change in IT (in random order):

#1 Azim Premji

D.O.B.: 24th July 1945

Education: Stanford University; St. Mary’s School (Mumbai)

Founded: Azim Premji Foundation; Mission 10X; Azim Premji University

Net Worth: $17.1 billion

Azim Hashim Premji is known as an Indian Business Tycoon who is also the Chairman of Wipro Limited – one of the largest IT companies in the world. Premji has managed to diversify a family business which started as a vegetable products and refined oil company and converted to a computer business in 1970. He saw more opportunities when IBM was expelled by the Indian government in 1979. Soon after Wipro has been known as a giant manufacturer of computer hardware which also entered the software market. The company has operated in 67 countries to date and has a market capitalization of $35 billion as of March last year. This has made Premji one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. The Business Week hailed him as one, for making Wipro one of the fastest growing companies in the history.

#2 Kumar Mangalam Birla

D.O.B.: 14th June 1967

Education: London business School; University of Mumbai; HR College of Commerce and Economics

Founded: Aditya Birla Group, Chairman; Ultra Tech Cement

Kumar Birla is the Chairman of the multinational company Aditya Birla, which belongs to the third largest business houses in India. After he graduated and became a Chartered Accountant, he went to London to complete his post-graduation. When his father died, he was given the big responsibilities to continue what his father has started in the company which was already largely established in the business sector. Inexperienced and fresh from his studies abroad, he had managed to overcome the doubts among his peers and had proven that he could still do more to propagate the family business. He introduced new business policies and new ventures. He conquered also business sectors in software and BPO (Business Process Outsourcing). Among his business influences are serving as the Chairman of the Board and Trade by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Securities and Exchange Board of India, and a lot more. He is also a philanthropist who tried improving the quality of life of the weaker masses in numerous countries including India, Egypt and Thailand.

#3 N.R. Narayana Murthy

D.O.B.: 20th August 1946

Education: University of Mysore; Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur; National Institute of Engineering

Founded: Infosys

Net Worth: $1.8 billion

Considered as one of the brilliant minds and described by Time’s magazine as the “Father of Indian IT Sector”. Several awards were put upon his name for his remarkable contributions to India’s IT industry. With his intelligence, he nailed the entrance exam at IIT (India Institute of Technology) and had a scholarship which was later not enough to cover his school expenses and his father advised him to join a local engineering college instead. He graduated with Electrical Engineering degree in 1967 at National Institute of Engineering and obtained his master’s degree at IIT in 1969. After pursuing a Computer Science course as he was impressed and influenced by US computer scientists he met at IIT, he took a job as chief systems programmer at IIM (India Institute of Management) and worked on a time sharing computer system which made it as first in India and the third in the world after Harvard and Stanford. He pursued a career in the West countries and established Softronics after coming back to India. There were ups and downs in the company but he had managed to withstand the obstacles when he founded another company named Infosys and made it as one of the largest IT companies across the globe.

#4 Nandan Nilekani

D.O.B.: 2nd June 1955

Education: Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

Founded: Infosys

Net Worth: $1.5 billion

Nandan Nilekani co-founded Infosys with Murthy and along with other software engineers. He became the CEO of the said company next to Murthy and served remarkably which contributed to the success of the company for decades. As a young man, he had planned of being an entrepreneur as he grew up, seeing his father’s re-assignment of jobs to different locations. He also joined politics after serving as chairman of UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) wherein he contributed to providing unique identification numbers for all residents of India. Because of his dedication to serve his country, he was given high authority awards including the NDTV Indian of the Year’s Transformational Idea of the Year award in 2011, Padma Bhushan in 2006 which is considered the third highest civilian award in India, and was named by Forbes Asia as the Businessman of the Year in that same year and among others.

Ratan Tata’s achievements had led him to be the leading Indian Industrialist who became the Chairman of the largest Tata Group of Companies. The company has been controlling Tata Power, Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Indian Hotels and Tata Manpower Services. Even though his parents separated at his young age, as he was raised by his grandmother, he became actively involved in the family business after he graduated. He took B.S. Architecture and structural engineering from Cornell University in the USA. Then completed his Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School in 1975. The rest is history. He was awarded almost year after year with highest local and international award giving bodies in the business including the Padma Vibhusan (India’s second highest civilian honor) in 2009. The latest is the Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire in 2014.

There are some more Indians who recently became famous worldwide due to their contribution to IT advancement:

Raju Vanapala who is behind the success of way2sms.com (India’s first free sms service)

Ajit Balakrishnan who created rediff.com

Ajay Bhatt who co-invented the USB and is also known as the Intel Rock Star

Sabeer Bhatia who co-created Hotmail.com

Vinod Dham who is the Father of Pentium Chip

Sashi Reddi who is the founder of Applabs and FXLabs

Sam Pitroda who is well known as The Father if India’s Communication Revolution

Pranav Mistry for his work Sixth Sense Technology

Narinder Singh Kapany who is the Father of fiber optics

Krishna Bharat who created Google News

Vinod Khosla who co-founded Sun Microsystems

I bet as the world keeps on changing the IT experience for everyone, more and more Indians will definitely be involved in the future success of any IT related products and services in the market. It is what they (we) are known for I guess. Thus the world expectations become higher, and we need to deal with it. Everyone in the world actually.

In Conclusion

Most of the names included in the list above have two things in common as I did notice. One, in the interest to gain more knowledge, they chose to further their studies abroad. This is understandable, not that I am saying the education quality in my native country is nothing, perhaps it could just not afford the resources in the old times. I believe it gets better and recognized these days. The second thing makes me shiver, by knowing the fact that most of them are philanthropists and choose to give percentage of share of their income to help my country or the less fortunate people in my country to improve their living. That takes a lot of dedication to make. Hence, it really is inspiring to know and witness that wealth is just something you achieve but the love for humanity is something that all of us should set a goal for.